Hero's Reward
by Smudge93
Summary: Lucifer has risen and the beginning of the end is upon us. Dean thinks that he has a way that they can still win but the price is high. Asking Castiel and his brother for help Dean sets out to change destiny. Can he?


**Author's Chapter Notes:**

Dean has a plan for them to win, but the price is high. Is this how it was supposed to end?

Spoilers: 2.01, 4.03, 4.19 and 4.22 in particular but the whole of S4 in general. An AU ending for the season and the series. Follows on from 4.22

Disclaimer: They belong to the CW and the Kripke. Just waiting for them to be cloned so that I can have one of my very own to keep.

NB - No matter how this reads there are no warnings on this story so that means that all is not as it seems. Stick with it to the end.

The longest one shot that I have ever written!

Hero's Reward

It was dark outside and the long black car seemed to merge with the fading light in the breaker's yard, making it blend into the darkness and became one with it. Only the dull sheen of the car's interior light broke the inky blackness and tried it's best to dispel the darkness of the mood of the car's occupants. The Winchester brother's were sitting there, talking quietly to each other about the plan that Dean had unveiled to his brother for stopping the apocalypse.

The plan that Sam was desperately trying to talk him out of.

"You can't ask me to agree to do this. I can't. I won't." Sam sat with his head resting against the side window of the Impala, turned away from his brother, face almost hidden in his jacket. He didn't want to turn and see the look of determination that he knew would be in Dean's eyes. The one that would match the sound that was in his voice. "Can't we go to the angels, they want Lucifer dead, maybe they'll help us?"

"Sam. They want Lucy dead _AFTER_ the apocalypse, after we've almost all been wiped from existence. It's started already Sam, people are dying already. We can't stop it and they don't want to. I need you to be ok with this. I can't do this on my own. I need you to help me, to see that this is the way to save everyone."

"Save everyone except you Dean!" Sam turned now and the tears were falling freely from his eyes. "Why does it have to be you?"

"Because that's the prophecy Sammy, it has to be me. Either way Sam…I'm dead already, this way at least it's just me. It'll be over, you'll be safe. I can change everything." He pulled Sam round fully to face him. "It's too late to do it any other way. We can't win this one Sam, you know that, deep inside somewhere….you know that." Sam thought that he hadn't seen his brother this alive in a long time and the irony made him want to scream.

"But Castiel is on our side, maybe with him…." Sam desperately tried for options that he knew weren't there.

"Cas is one angel Sam. One. He can only help me finish things my way Sam. He can't sort this on his own. Besides....," Dean looked down at his hands, "I want to do this. I need to do this."

"_Why?_" Sam pulled back and huffed. "Because you want to end up the hero of the story?"

Dean scowled at him. "Maybe I do. Haven't I earned that right Sammy? Haven't I made enough sacrifices to be allowed to do this my way for a change?"

Sam had tried everything to dissuade his brother from this course of action but even he could see that it had its merits. They were two guys, a prophet, an angel and an old hunter standing against the legions of Hell and the archangels of Heaven.

He just wished that it wasn't going to cost him his brother.

Again.

"Colour it anyway that you want Sam, but we're screwed and you know it."

"It's not your fault Dean. You might have started this but it's not all your fault."

Dean sighed. "That's not what this is about Sam; it's not blame that I feel on my shoulders, its fate." Castiel's voice rang in his head as he spoke. "I can finish this, this will work; and I get to keep my family safe into the bargain. I don't want or need anything else Sam. Please help me with it?"

"I don't want to…." Dean's face fell and he went to argue but Sam wiped at his face and then held up his hand to stay his brother's protests. "I don't want to…but if you're really sure that this is the way you want it to go...," he sighed deeply, "...then I'll help. It's the least I can do and after what I did, I can hardly fault you for wanting to do this."

"Hey! No blame, remember?" Dean laid his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Yeah, destiny, fate, whatever….let's go before I change my mind."

The two brothers climbed out of the car and matching each other stride for stride they walked back into Bobby's house where the others were waiting on them. The little band inside was quiet as they took in the faces of the men in front of them. Sam's face was red and tear-streaked, Dean's face in contrast was calm, an almost serene look about it.

"Well, you boys come up with a game plan?" Bobby watched them as they stood together, shoulder to shoulder, Sam so close to his brother it looked as if he was afraid that Dean would disappear any minute. Looking at them he wasn't sure that he wanted to hear what the plan was.

"Yeah." Dean wiped his face with his hand and looked over at the angel. "I need your help for it but I think we know a way to finish this."

Castiel nodded. "I will do whatever I can do to help."

"How?" Bobby walked up to Dean. "You ain't planning to go and do something stupid are you?"

Dean gave him a look that worried the older hunter to his very core. "Not anything any worse than what I've done already."

"That ain't reassuring. Not at all." Bobby put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Dean what are you up to?"

"Give me a minute ok?" With that he turned and walked over to the angel motioning him to follow him outside.

Bobby walked over and sat down next to Sam who had fallen onto the couch. "What's he up to?"

Sam went to speak but found he couldn't, he just shook his head at his old friend and got up, heading for the bathroom. Once there he threw up violently, heave after heave, until he felt the touch on his back, the gentle circling of the hand that he knew was his brother's.

"Sam, are you ok?" Concern laced his brother's voice. He looked up and he just couldn't hold it inside any longer, his tears turning to full blow sobs and Dean was down on his knees beside him in a minute, hugging him close, rocking him through it.

"Don't do this Dean. Please, don't do this." His breath hitched through him as he tried to calm himself enough to speak.

"Shit Sammy, please don't cry. I don't want you to cry." Sam could hear tears in Dean's own voice now. "I finally get a chance to stick two fingers up at all the bastards that have been playing us from the very start Sammy, stop being a girl and be happy for me."

Sam gave a strangled laugh and pushed him away. "Stop being a girl? How does you dying stick two fingers up at anyone Dean? You friggin' jerk." He punched his brother's chest.

A voice interrupted them before Dean could reply. "Ok, what the hell are you planning to do that's got him in a state like that? And I don't want to hear any bullshit." Bobby stood behind them, arms crossed and a grim look on his face.

"I'm gonna save the world Bobby." Dean stood and pulled his brother to his feet and waited for him to speak.

Sam wiped at his face. "And I'm gonna help him."

Bobby shook his head as the brothers grinned at one another through their tears. "Fine. So let's go get a comfy seat and let's hear it."

They followed him through and sat down to let Bobby and Chuck in on the plan.

---

There was silence after Dean finished telling them. Bobby sat unmoving, with an unreadable expression on his face and Dean wasn't sure that he hadn't slipped into a coma right in front of their faces. He clicked his fingers in the direction of the hunter. "Bobby? You still with us?"

Bobby turned to look at him, and then he surprised the heck out of them by standing, striding across the room and pulling Dean up and into a hug.

"Bobby, you're crushing me." Dean tried to peel the gruff old hunter off him but the older man's grip was too tight. He looked at his brother for help.

"Damn it to hell boy." Bobby finally pushed Dean back to arms length. "Are you sure that this is what you want to do? I'm prepared to go down fightin' Dean, even if we know that we're gonna lose, at least we'll go down swinging."

Dean gripped the older man's shoulder. "That's what they want us to do Bobby, that's why this'll work, by the time they realise what we're doing, it'll be too late to stop us."

"It'll be too late for a lot of things by then." He hugged Dean to him again and the older Winchester looked to his brother beseechingly, trying to keep himself under control and get Bobby off him.

Sam peeled them apart. "Bobby, try not to crush him to death before he gets a chance to kill himself."

"I don't know if you're the bravest sonuvabitch that I've ever met or if you're the stupidest freakin' idjit to walk this Earth, but my money's swaying to the latter. You don't have t'do this Dean." Neither of them could look at the other.

Dean sighed. "Yeah, I do Bobby. It'll be ok. It will."

"You dying, that'll make everything ok will it? 'Cos I don't remember it doing it the last time."

Dean's tone was warning. "Bobby…."

There was a long silence between them until Castiel stepped forward and broke it. "This time it should. When do you want to do this? I need a little time to prepare."

"As soon as we can Cas." Dean turned to him.

"I'll be ready in a few hours." The angel disappeared.

"Well what say you guys take me out for my last supper?" Dean smiled at his three companions.

"That's not funny Dean." Sam scowled at him.

"It's a little funny Sammy boy." Dean slapped him on the back and headed for the door.

Recovering himself Bobby growled. "Waste of a good meal if you ask me." Sam turned with a horrified look on his face but his brother just grinned. Irreverence he could cope with.

"Hey old man, watch it."

"Oh so you're the only one that gets to joke about this are you?"

"Well it is my funeral. Hey we could make this like the wake; except we can have it before I bite it and then I get to join in."

"Dean!" Two voices shouted at him.

"What? Say did you guys hold a wake after I went to Hell? Did you get some people round and get them to say nice things about me?"

"No." Bobby deadpanned him. "We tried but we couldn't find anyone with somethin' nice to say about you. Now get in the damned car and quit it with the dying jokes or I swear to God that I'll kill you myself."

---

Cas was waiting for them when they returned. "It's time. Are you ready?"

The brothers exchanged looks and then they nodded. Cas touched their heads and looked into Dean's eyes. "You are sure about this?"

Smiling Dean spoke. "Yeah. You were the one that told me that I could end this and you were right. This is the only way left that I can do that."

"I admire your courage, but then I always have." The angel leaned in slightly. "I will…miss…you." He patted his coat pocket. "I will see that these get passed on for you." Dean smiled his thanks at the angel. "Close your eyes."

They did as they were asked and held on to each other as they felt the room swirl around them, opening them again only when they heard the steady bleep of the heart monitor.

"Angel airways, only way to travel." Dean stepped forward and looked at the man lying in the bed in front of him, the ventilator breathing for him and the monitors telling them that he was still alive…for now. Reaching down he gently took the hand that lay on top of the covers.

"I look so damn young." Dean sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I know how hard you're fighting this. I know that you don't really want to die, but it's the only way to protect your family now. It's the only way to make things right."

He turned to Sam. "We need to find you and the Colt. We gotta stop Dad first."

His brother moved forward. "Do you know how hard I prayed for God not to take you from me? When I heard that it was a reaper that was after you and I couldn't find Dad, I prayed that he would hear me, that he would come and save you, realise that it wasn't your time to die, that you had so much to live for, so much left to do. When you woke up I thought that he had heard me, and then dad died and I realised that God had had nothing to do with it." Sam touched his brother's arm. "Dean why does it have to be this deal that Cas brings us to, I know that he can only take us back to a point where destiny was changed by a hand other than God's own…to when a deal was made, but why not when Mom made hers, or yours….why does it have to be Dad's deal that we stop?"

"Sam we've been over this. It has to be a deal that involves me. Mom's deal was for Dad; mine for you, this is the only one that was made for me. It's the only one that I have a shot at altering."

"But if we go back to the nursery we can stop YED bleeding in my mouth, killing mom…..please?"

"Sammy, that wasn't a point where a deal was made, Cas can't take us back to then, you know that, I've explained that to you little brother." Dean smiled at him and then turned back to stare at his younger self in the bed. "Did I tell you that I dreamed about this in Hell Sam?"

"What? You dreamed of dying in the hospital while you were in Hell?"

Dean's voice had a far off quality to it, like he had drifted away from Sam for the moment. "I'd wish ever night, after Alastair had left, that Dad had just let me go and that I wouldn't have to suffer anymore. That was always my dream Sam."

"Dying was your dream?"

If I had to die Sam I wanted it to be in a bed, with my family there. I always thought…..", he paused, "……was always scared that I'd bite it on a hunt and that you wouldn't find me in time and I'd die alone. When the hellhounds were coming for me Sam I was so scared that something bad was gonna happen to you too that I almost left without you, but I was more scared of being alone at the end, so I stayed." Dean turned his head to look in Sam's eyes and smiled. "That's not gonna happen now; I'm finally going to get my chance to go out the way I want. And now I have the added bonus of knowing that you will all be safe if this works."

"But you don't know where you're going, what if you die and go straight back to Hell?"

"Why would I?" Dean shrugged his shoulders. "If I die here it wipes everything Sam. Dad's deal, you dying, my deal, going to Hell, it's all gone. None of it happens, so why would I go to Hell? I have to believe that I've got reservations upstairs. I mean if I do this, I've done what God wanted me to do. Perhaps that'll be enough to save me. I hope so anyway."

The voice made them freeze.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing with my brother?" Both their backs were to the door but they didn't have to turn to know who it was behind them.

Dean spoke first. "Well that's one thing off the to do list." He turned and watched as the younger version of his brother stared at him open mouthed and back up a little.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Young Sam glanced into the corridor; he looked ready to run, torn between escape and not leaving his brother. He pulled the gun from the back of his jeans. "Get away from him!"

Dean held his hands up. "You can't shoot us both Sammy. We just want to talk and we need you to listen."

The younger version of his brother was staring at the amulet that hung round Dean's neck. "Where did you get that?"

Dean looked confused wondering if it was a test of some sort. "You mean originally? You gave it to me for Christmas. Bobby gave it to you to give to Dad but you gave it to me instead."

Older Sam smiled. "You've got this Dean's one in your left hand pocket.", he pointed to the man on the bed, "You put it there at the accident site. Didn't want Dean to wake up and not be able to find it." He watched his younger self check the pocket and pull out the necklace.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" The gun was still levelled at Dean's chest. Dean looked down again at his other self on the bed and turned back to the younger man with a look of sorrow in his eyes.

"There's a reaper after me."

"I know that."

"I'm dying."

"I know that too."

Dean stole another look at himself. "I need you and Dad to let me."

"NO! This is a trick. You're working for him." Sam's hand shook as he held the gun.

Older Sam walked as near to his younger self as he thought he could get. "Dad isn't summoning the YED to kill him. He's summoning it to make a deal with him." It was strange to watch his own eyes grow wide. "The stuff he asked you for, does he have it yet?"

"Bobby dropped it off earlier."

"Where is the Colt?"

"I gave it to Dad; he said he was worried that the demon would come after us in here."

Dean stepped forward. "He's going to trade his life, and the Colt, for mine. In less than a few hours this Dean'll be awake and Dad'll be dead. If we let that happen, all hell is going to break loose, and I mean that as literally as it sounds. We need to stop him from making that deal and, much as I hate the idea too….that means we _need _to let me die."

The young man shook his head. "I can't. I won't let you do that." Older Sam realised what his brother was about to do a split second before his younger self did but by then it was too late. Dean smashed his fist into the younger man's face and caught him as he went down.

Turning, Dean smirked at his brother. "See, I knew it, without all your demon mojo, you're a lightweight!"

"You knocked me out!" Sam moved to help his brother lift himself up onto the bed beside the other Dean.

"Yeah, well I owed you one. Let's find Dad before it's too late."

"Are you gonna just leave me…him there?"

Dean looked at the prone figure on the bed. "Let's sit him in the chair; it'll look as if he's asleep if anyone comes in to check on me." They manhandled the younger Sam into the chair and then headed for the room that their father was in.

It was empty.

"Sonuvabitch!" Dean turned and pushed past his brother.

"Basement now!"

---

Both brothers slowed as they heard the sound of their father's voice and the unmistakable sound of the Colt being cocked.

"Hey. How stupid do you think I am?"

They could see the YED now, his eyes glowing, smiling at their father. "You really want an honest answer to that?"

Dean went to start forward but Sam stopped him and pulled him to the side. Two possessed men in lab coats stalked by and took positions behind John.

The demon smiled at John. "You conjuring me, John. I'm surprised. I took you for a lot of things. But suicidally reckless wasn't one of them."

"I could always shoot you."

"You could always miss." The demon zigzagged and laughed at him. "And you've only got one try, don't'cha? Did you really think you could trap me?"

"Oh, I don't want to trap you." They watched as their father lowered the gun. "I want to make a deal." Sam felt his brother tense beside him and he placed a hand on his arm, shook his head, not yet.

The demon looked intrigued. "It's very unseemly, making deals with devils. How do I know this isn't just another trick?"

John's voice was low and certainty about what he was doing sounded in it. "It's no trick. I will give you the Colt and the bullet, but you've got to help Dean. You've got to bring him back."

The demon mocked him. "Why, John, you're a sentimentalist. If only your boys knew how much their daddy loved them."

"It's a good trade. You care a hell of a lot more about this gun than you do Dean."

"Don't be so sure. He killed some people very special to me. But still, you're right, he isn't much of a threat. And neither is your other son. You know the truth, right? About Sammy? And the other children?" It was Sam that tensed this time.

"Yeah. I've known for a while." Both brother looked at each other and nodded. This was it.

"But Sam doesn't, does he? You've been playing dumb." The demon's smirk was short lived.

"Oh Sammy knows and he's really pissed about it." Dean stepped from the shadows. "But not as much as I am. So isn't this the bit where Dad has to add to the pot, his life for mine?"

Both the demon and John were watching him. "I know you."

"Dean?" John stood open-mouthed and stared at the older version of his son that stood before him.

"Yup. Live and in the flesh, for now at least." He stepped over to the demon. "You know me from when you killed my grandparents." He saw his father swing his head between the demon and him. "When you killed my father and made my mother sell you my brother in return for bringing him back. I was there, and I couldn't stop you, I just had to sit there and watch with my junk in my hand. But not this time."

"You. You were the one with the angels on your shoulder." The demon smiled coldly. "Funny I don't see them sitting there now." It raised its hand and pinned Dean against the wall. "If you've come to kill me, you're doing a poor job of it so far."

"Oh, it's not that brother that you have to be worried about." The YED cried out as Sam stepped forward, hand raised. Both it and John watched in horror as Sam killed the other two demons with little more than a mere flick of his hand.

Sam smiled as he turned back to the YED. "You leave my brother alone."

There was a flash of yellow flame inside the demon's host and its hold on Dean was broken as it fell back clutching its throat. "See your little plan worked. We did it for you. Him and I." Sam pointed to his brother with his free hand and twisted the demons inside by turning the other. "We broke the seals, set Lucifer free and started your damned apocalypse, but here's the rub." He stepped closer to the demon and its inside flared again. "It's because of you that we're going to win this one. It's your own power that's going to kill you and finish this…or at least it's going to hold you while you die."

John found his tongue as the demon folded under Sam's assault on it. "Sam, no….without him we can't save your brother!" His heart dropped as his son turned towards him, his eyes black.

"I know." Sam flicked his eyes back to their normal colour.

"We don't want him to save me." Dean placed a restraining hand on his father's arm and then walked over pulling Ruby's knife from the back of his jeans. "I'm going to die and we are going to end this war before it starts." Dean raised the knife and drove it through the heart of the demon's host, twisting it in as he did, pulling the demon off its feet. It let out a guttural groan and collapsed onto the floor taking Dean with it.

"Dean!" Sam launched himself forward and rolled his brother into his arms. "What wrong? What's happening?"

Dean smiled up at him. "It worked. He's doing it right now, even as we speak."

"Who's doing what Dean?"

"My spirit or soul…whatever it is. He's with her, with Tess." He looked at his Dad as he spoke. "I was going to go with her; before the demon pulled me back…I was going to say yes. I was tired and I didn't want to end up trapped here as a spirit, when my family would be gone one day, so I was going to do as she asked. That's what my soul is doing right now….he's letting go." Dean's weight in Sam's arms started to lessen and his brother instinctively hugged him tighter.

"Dad." John knelt beside his sons. "You need to destroy the Colt, it opens the Devil's Gate….without it she'll never be free. They can't get her out any other way. I need you to promise me."

"I promise son." John looked at Sam. "What's happening?"

"Your Dean is dying, he's going with the reaper and when that happens my Dean….he'll simply cease to exist."

"We did it Dad, the demon's dead and we beat them. Now you need to take us off the road you put us on to finish it, do you hear me? Sam has to go back to college, please?"

John hesitated for just a heartbeat. "I will. If that's what he wants….I will."

Sam hugged his brother to him as Dean jerked in his arms. "Dean! Oh God, please."

"We did it Sammy, we stopped it." Dean's voice faded to a whisper. "We won." With that he closed his eyes and fell limp in his brother's arms.

Sam felt it, even as he looked up. He hadn't realised that it would happen but now it seemed obvious. He felt the heat rising in him as he looked at his father. "You have to let him go. It all started with you. Don't try to bring him back." The light enveloped them both then, Dean had died to change the future and that meant that the brother that cradled him in his arms no longer existed, the path that Sam would follow now would make him a different person from that which he had become.

John watched as the light filled the room and then there was nothing. Both his sons were gone.

He paused only for a moment and then hurried out of the room and upstairs. He got halfway along the corridor when he realised that there were alarms going off in his son's room. Rounding the door he caught sight of Sam, leaning against the wall, arms wrapped round himself. Dean's amulet hung from his fingers. He raised his head and locked eyes with his father, and then he slowly shook his head.

"Dean!" John hurried into the room, lifting his good hand to his mouth as he watched the doctor look up at the clock to call time of death on his son. "No." John pushed the nurses aside and stopped, gripping the lowered rail on the bed to keep him upright. "Dean!" His voice was broken. The son that he had been trying to bargain with his mortal enemy to save was dead and John didn't really have any idea what the hell had just happened.

Sam walked out of the room, stopped and then punched his hand straight through the gyproc wall of the corridor, before sliding to his knees. He stayed there until he heard the doctors and nurses leave and his father's voice call him. He stood not sure if he would be able to go back into the room and look at the dead body that up until mere moments ago had been his big brother.

"Dad." He wiped his hand across his face and moved to stand beside his father. "Did you see them too?"

"Yeah Sammy. I saw them."

"It was Dean and me Dad. Older but still, it was us. He told me that we had to let him go."

"They told me that too son." He let go his grip and turned to the body of his oldest son not really quite grasping yet that Dean was dead, wanting him to open his eyes and smile up at him, let him know that this was all just a bad dream. But he knew it wasn't.

"I don't understand, why would I want my brother dead, what the heck happened in the future to make me come back and do this?"

John didn't look up. "You were different, the you that came back. I think that this was Dean saving you son, the only way that he could, like I was going to ask him to." John gently stroked his son's head. "The last order that I was going to give to him."

"What?" Sam turned to his father. "Dad, what aren't you telling me?"

"Let's go somewhere else and talk son. I don't want to leave him but I can't be here any longer either. Sam will you go down and wait for me in my room? I'll just be a minute."

There was something in John's voice that made Sam obey. He stepped forward and kissed his brother on his head and walked out the room, head down, tears falling freely now.

John smiled down at his oldest son. "What did you do? How did you do it? You killed it Dean, the thing that I failed to all these years. You did that. I'm so proud of you son, but then I always was." He wiped at his face and touched Dean's cheek gently. "It wasn't supposed to be this way."

"It was always supposed to be this way, you changing things altered the future, your son was only setting things right."

John turned. The man in the long trench coat walked towards him and stood on the other side of the bed, backlit by the window.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?"

Castiel looked down at Dean and smiled then looked at John. "I flew."

He knew that Dean would have laughed at the expression on his father's face. "You son is quite a work of art. One of God's better creations."

John went to speak again but the angel raised his hand. "I am Castiel. I am what you might call your son's guardian angel."

"Well I think you've done a piss poor job of that. You look like a bloody tax accountant. You're what an angel looks like? I thought you'd be fluffier, a halo and shit like that."

"He really is your son isn't he?" Castiel looked at Dean. "Now I know where he gets it from."

"Why are you here?"

The angel handed John two letters, both with Dean's handwriting on them, symbols marked on the paper. "The marks keep the letters real in this timeline even though the person that wrote them, and the timeline that they were written in no longer exists. He wanted you and Sam to both know why and he isn't going to be able to tell you himself now so he asked that I deliver these to you after he passed. It was his last request to me."

"Well you've done that so if you don't mind I'd like to be alone with my son."

"Dad?" Both men turned as Sam walked back into the room. He eyed the angel suspiciously. "Who's this?"

"Hello Sam. It is good to see you like this again."

"Do I know you?"

"We fought together, after you broke the seal and released Lucifer."

Sam stared at him. "After I did what?"

"Your father has a letter from your brother for you, it will explain everything." He smiled serenely at both of them. "Now I have one final piece of God's work to do before I may take my leave."

"One final piece of what?" Sam looked at his Dad but John hushed him.

Castiel touched his hand to Dean's forehead. "You have done well, God is please with his son and he has sent me to deliver his gift to you."

"Gift?" John and Sam uttered the word almost at the same time.

"_Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid._"

He touched Dean's head and with that he was gone.

---

_Thanksgiving 2012_

Sam Winchester sat in the living room of his house in Lawrence and watched as his son used his brother as a climbing frame, climbing up his legs to finally get the position on his knee that he was after. His prize dangled mere inches from his face but he was stopped by a hand and his father's stern voice as he went to pull the small amulet that hung round his brother's neck on a chord. "Don't you dare pull that or you'll go straight to your room young man!"

"Yeah titch, you break that and we'll need to have words. This was a present from my brother you know, and it'll be yours some day….you'll just have to be patient!" The small boy reached his hand up slower this time.

"See? Ta."

The man giggled. "Ok." He lifted it from round his neck and put it over that of the child on his knee. Both Sam and he watched the boy turn the amulet in his hand.

"Dean's." He said loud and clear looking at his father as he spoke.

Sam smiled. "Yes it's Dean's and you'll get it when you're bigger and can look after it properly. Now give it back."

Watching to ensure that the necklace was passed back safely Sam sighed. "He likes you, you know. You should come to visit us more often. We'd love to see more of you."

"I know it's just hard, what with college and everything. That and Mom and Dad are always so busy at work." The other man played with the small boy that was sitting on his knee. "What do you say dude, would you like your Uncle to come visit more?"

"Yeah. Cool toys!" He threw his arms round the man's neck and hugged him tight, giggling as he got tickled.

"Is that all you like me for?" He tried for affronted in his voice but lost himself in laughter as the little boy nodded.

"Dean Winchester!" The small boy and the man whose knees he sat on turned to stare at Sam. "What have I told you about that!"

"Oh Sam ease up on the kid, you sound like Dad." Sam raised his eyebrow at his brother.

"I know that you did not just compare me to Drill Sergeant Winchester."

"I think I just did!"

"You're welcome's revoked. Beat it!" Sam pointed to the door and they both laughed as Sam's son slide from his perch and copied his father.

"Beat it!"

"You getting thrown out there Adam? It's time we were leaving anyway." John Winchester walked into the room, smiled at his youngest son, then he picked his grandson up and hugged him.

"Hey Dean." He ran his hands through the mop of blonde hair and grinned into the green eyes that stared up at him. "Get more like him every day." The words were soft and not really spoken for anyone to hear.

"Don't cry Grandpa." The little voice was almost as quiet as his grandfather's had been and John hugged him closer before putting him down and clearing his throat. Sam and Adam purposely avoided looking at John instead they moved in to give each other a hug.

"John we better get going if we're gonna get home before nightfall." Kate Winchester walked through, rescuing her husband with perfect timing.

John wiped at his nose and turned to his twenty two year old son. "Yeah, better head out. Adam, son, will you get the bags?"

"Already in the hall Dad. I'll put them in the car while you and Mom say bye."

Kate moved in to hug Sam. "You and that girl of yours don't be strangers now. Where is she anyhow, I wanted to say goodbye?"

"She's upstairs. Mary woke up, she's changing her." He moved to the foot of the stairs. "Sarah? Mom and Dad are leaving!"

"I'm coming!" Sarah Blake-Winchester appeared at the top of the stairs, Mary in her arms and hurried down. "Can't believe that's Thanksgiving over for another year." She handed Mary to Sam and hugged her in-laws. "You take care on the drive home and call us to let us know that you got in ok."

"We will." John ushered Kate out the car and down to the waiting Impala. The blue car was already idling at the pavement, Adam behind the wheel. Sam tried not to think what was wrong with that picture, how it should be another brother of his in a different car that was sitting there smiling out at him. He walked over and thumped his hand on the roof. "You drive safe now you hear!"

"Always do big brother, always do."

It was the horn that made them all turn. Sam stood open-mouthed as he watched the black car pull up behind the younger, more colourful version of itself.

The man pulled himself from the inside and glared at the car in front. "Adam, you not painted that damn car yet? I told you, it has to be black. Not baby blue….younger brothers….I don't know."

"Hey you leave my little brother alone!" Sam had recovered and was walking across the grass to greet Dean.

He reached him and pulled him into a hug. "Where have you been man, we've been calling you for like the last week. I was almost about to get in the car and come hunt your ass down."

Dean threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah, like that would ever happen, besides…." Dean jerked his thumb at Sam's Lexus that was parked in the driveway. "….that piece of crap would overheat before you got across the State line!"

John coughed and caught their attention. "Hey Dad." Dean stepped up and smiled at his father.

"You're looking good there son. What have you been hunting?"

"Wendigo in North Carolina and then I've been doing a couple of salt'n'burns for Bobby. He had an accident, broke his hand. I've been staying with him for a while. How's tricks at the garage?"

"Busy. We could use another pair of hands."

Dean grinned. "We tried that remember? I got bored Dad, I'm sorry but much as I love cars I was never meant to be a mechanic."

"No son I guess you weren't."

They were interrupted by a little whirlwind of blonde hair that streaked past his father and launched himself at his uncle. "Uncle Dean!"

"Hey dude. Did you miss me. God you've got big!" He held the little boy out to arms length until he started to struggle then he pulled him in and put him on his shoulders.

Sarah walked over and kissed Dean on the cheek. "Hi, glad you made it, even if you are late as usual."

"Better late than never." He lent in and uttered a stage whisper. "You know if your son gets to look any more like me, people'll talk!"

He grinned at her and she slapped him playfully. "You should ever have been so lucky. He's God's punishment on your brother, he settled down and still ended up living with you, except in a pint sized version.

"Am not pint-sized. Who's that?" Everyone followed the young boy's finger that was pointing at the woman who had finally climbed out of the passenger side of the Impala. Dean lifted his nephew off his shoulders and drew the woman into his arms as she walked up. "I thought I'd better come over and introduce myself since it didn't seem that you were going to get to it anytime soon. Hi, I'm Clare, I'm Bobby's daughter."

There was a row of shocked faces all round. It was John that spoke first. "Bobby's what?"

"Yeah. That look there. That's the one that was on his face when she told him too." Dean laughed. "She tracked him down about ten months ago. First time I've ever seen the old coot lost for words."

"Hey, that old coot is my dad."

Dean grinned and pulled her in to his side. "Well thank god that you got your mother's looks." That made them all laugh.

"Another Singer, God help us all." Sam reached out his hand and shook hers. "So you travelling with my brother then?"

He watched Dean and her exchange looks. "We're hunting together." Dean smiled at her and then turned to them all. "And her name isn't Singer. It's Winchester."

There was another round of stunned looks and then Kate moved forward and hugged Clare and then Dean. "Congratulations. When?"

"Thanks Kate." Dean never could get used to calling her mom. "Two months ago. We went to Vegas."

"Very romantic." Sam smirked at Dean.

"Actually it was." Clare lent in and kissed Dean. "We camped out next to the Grand Canyon for our honeymoon. It was great."

"We scared off all the wildlife in the area!" Dean's smug look earned him a playful thump from his wife.

"So, finally got to the Canyon then?" John pulled his son to him. "Congratulations." He winked at Clare as he held his son tight. "Even if she is a Singer."

"Well, this calls for a celebration. I take it you'll all want to stay for another night? We've got plenty of room." Sarah motioned them all back into the house.

"Actually we were just stopping to tell you our news and then we were going to head back to Bobby's, spend Christmas with him." He pulled Clare back to him.

"Can't it wait one night, please. We can all celebrate your good news as a family." It was John that spoke.

Clare nudged Dean. "Come on. One night in a house won't kill you. Besides I bet your Dad has got some great stories about mine."

Dean sighed and caved. "I bet he has."

Sam walked beside Dean into the house. "So." He motioned to Clare. "Should we be expecting Bobby with a shotgun anytime soon?"

"Dude, what do you take me for?" A little look crossed Dean's face and then he rolled his eyes. "How do you do that. We only found out two days ago, Bobby doesn't know yet…so no, no shotgun." Dean tried to tame the grin that was threatening to split his face in two.

"Good luck with telling him that he's gonna be a Granddad just after he's found out that he's a Dad. Just remove anything sharp or dangerous from the room before you do." Sam hugged his brother to him.

"Thanks we survived telling him we got married, so I guess he'll cope with the news." Dean smiled at his brother. "We'll tell everyone else later, I'm still kinda adjusting to the idea myself."

"Poor kid, John and Bobby as it's Granddads."

"I know, I almost feel sorry for him or her?" Sam smiled as Dean avoided calling it an it.

"Still it'll have a great dad and two cool uncles, that should make up for it."

Dean stopped "You think I'll be a great Dad?"

"Well you kinda raised me didn't you?"

"Yeah and look how that turned out."

"Watch it or your sleeping in the car."

"I've slept in worst places."

"Don't I know it."

John watched as his three sons and his extended family moved into the house and laughed and joked with one another and he thought that it wasn't just Dean that God had granted peace to that night in the hospital.

He had given it to them all.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Selfishly written 'cos this is how I wanted the story to end. Dean saving all his family even Adam and his mom from 4.19. *coughs and looks at Mr Kripke. (I did once think that I wanted the Butch and Sundance finish but now I know I don't. I want a happy ending - this one would do, I'll only charge a little for my idea!! *rubs hands and laughs***

Thanks for reading and if you have reviewing.

Mary xx


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